Part 2
In as little as four to six weeks, (5) the omnivorous microbes recycle kitchen waste into a rich, black, crumbly soil. When finished compost, or humus, are (6) raked into garden beds flowers and vegetables (7) are almost guaranteed to be healthy and productive. Besides providing nutrients, humus, while acting (8) like a sponge, retaining (9) water and giving plant roots access to air.
Thus, composting completes the cycle of life: new (10) life grows out of the broken-down elements of the old. That is why gardeners love compost. Of course, the compost pile also helps them hide their mistakes.[11]
5.
Which choice provides the most logical transition to this new paragraph?
A. NO CHANGE
B. Meanwhile,
C. Until this happens,
D. On the other hand,
6.
F. NO CHANGE
G. were
H. is
J. was
7.
A. NO CHANGE
B. beds, flowers, and vegetables,
C. beds, flowers, and vegetables
D. beds, flowers and vegetables
8.
F. NO CHANGE
G. humus, which acts
H. humus, acting
J. humus acts
9.
A. NO CHANGE
B. holding and retaining
C. retaining by holding
D. retaining which holds
10.
Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion would NOT be acceptable?
F. life; that is, new
G. life, new
H. life. New
J. life; new
11.
The writer is considering adding to the end of the preceding sentence the following statement (deleting the period):
—like the vegetable they planted that no one in the family would eat!
Should this addition be made here?
A. Yes, because it helps explain what the writer means by “mistakes.”
B. Yes, because it informs the reader about which vegetables should not be planted.
C. No, because it contradicts the essay’s assertion that compost guarantees productive vegetable gardens.
D. No, because it fails to maintain the paragraph’s focus on why gardeners love composting.